


Lovers and Other Sun Devils

by TacoCat2020



Category: Swimming RPF
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-07
Updated: 2015-09-07
Packaged: 2018-04-19 14:59:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4750601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TacoCat2020/pseuds/TacoCat2020
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is what happens when I have late night conversations with natyantunes.</p><p>On the drive to Arizona, Frank makes an important realization.  Nicole and Michael play matchmaker.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lovers and Other Sun Devils

**Author's Note:**

  * For [natyantunes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/natyantunes/gifts), [Ghost_Writer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ghost_Writer/gifts).



Frank had been driving for hours. He still had another hour or so to go before arriving in Tempe. He pulled into a rest stop along the highway to grab a cup of coffee to help get him through the rest of the ride. Before getting back in the car, he scrolled through his pictures that he had taken along the way. He picked out his favorite one, and sent it to Allison with the caption. “On my way! See you soon roomie!”

Allison replied almost instantly. **Allison [3:30 PM]:** YAY! See you soon! Meeting Mike and Nicole for dinner around 6ish if you wanna join!

 **Frank [3:32 PM]:** Great! Should be at the apartment close to 5. See you then!

Frank smiled as he stuck his phone back in the cup holder in center console of the car. He glanced at the bouquet of flowers resting on the passenger seat and smiled. This was the beginning of something big.

 

***

Michael and Nicole were in their new townhouse in Tempe. Michael was lying face first on the bed. “It’s sooooo hot!”, he whined.

Nicole laughed and gently pulled on his leg. “It’s not that bad, and the air conditioner is on”, she pointed out. “Get ready, we’re meeting Allie soon.”

“And Frank”, Michael mumbled into the pillow.

“Frank?”, Nicole repeated.

Michael finally stood up. He pulled a shirt out of the closet and started to change. “Yeah”, he said. “Frank is getting in sometime this evening. Allie texted me and said that he’d be here in time to have dinner with us. That’s cool, right?”

Nicole nodded. “Yeah”, she said. “That’s great. Frank is cool. So is that like, a thing?”

Michael snorted. “Allie and Frank?”, he asked. “No.”

Nicole smiled. “I don’t know, hon”, she said. “I wouldn’t be so quick to brush it off. They’re pretty cute.”

Michael shrugged. “Frank is great”, he said. “He’s a good dude, but he’s not…”

“Right for Allie?”, Nicole finished. “Who is right for Allie, Mike. Anyone?”

Michael seemed to tense up. He recovered and shook his head. “A prince, maybe?”, he suggested.

Nicole smiled, and gently touched his arm. “You can’t protect her forever, Mike”, she said.

Michael smiled back. “I know”, he said. “But she’s basically my baby sister. I don’t want anyone to hurt her.”

“Frank’s a good guy”, Nicole said. “Would it really be so bad if there was something going on there?”

Michael shook his head, but didn’t really answer. “Do you think there’s something going on between them? Did Allie say something to you?”

Nicole shook her head. “No”, she said. “I just have a feeling. Call it female intuition or whatever.”

Michael nodded. “Okay”, he said. 

Nicole wrapped her arms around Michael’s waist. “Is something wrong, babe?”, she asked.

Michael shook his head, but avoided the question again. “What makes you think there’s something there?”, he asked.

Nicole shrugged. “I don’t know”, she said. “It seems like there might be something going on there. He made her breakfast at the OTC. That was pretty cute.”

Michael smiled. “It was nice”, he said. “But friends make each other breakfast all the time. It doesn’t mean anything.”

Nicole shrugged. “Maybe”, she said. “But you never know.”

 

****

Allison was in the kitchen in her new apartment in Tempe. She had just spent the past few days sightseeing with Megan. Megan had helped her set up her furniture, and now they were making cookies.

“I wish you didn’t have to go so soon”, Allison said quietly, as she wiped some batter on Megan’s face.

Megan giggled and hugged Allison tightly. “Distance sucks”, she said. “But I’ll visit soon. I promise.”

Allison switched the song on her computer. Fetty Wap’s “Trap Queen”, blasted from the speakers. Both girls sang along.

The apartment door opened and Frank came in with two of his suitcases. “Honey, I’m home!”, he called, and burst out laughing when he saw Megan and Allie rapping and dancing in the cookie batter covered kitchen.

“Frank!”, Allison exclaimed as she ran to greet him.

Frank hugged her and lightly kissed her on the cheek. “Hey!”, he said.

“How was the trip?”, she asked.

“Long drive”, Frank answered. “But good.”

“Hey Frank”, Megan called across the kitchen.

“Meg”, Frank said. “Come here!”

Megan walked over to Frank and Allie and joined their hug. “I love you guys”, she said. 

“My two girls”, Frank replied, as he kissed each of them on the top of their head. “Meg, come out for dinner with us.”

“I can’t”, Megan said sadly. “I have to get my rental car back, then fly out. We’ll all get together soon though, I promise.”

Allison tightened her grip around Megan. “I’m going to miss you so much”, she said.

Megan smiled and hugged Allison just as tightly. “I always miss you when we’re apart baby girl”, she said. “But I’ll see you soon.”

Frank smiled and patted each of them on the back. “I’m going to go out to my car to get more of my luggage”, he said. “I’ll let you two be alone.”

The song switched and Taylor Swift’s “Love Story”, came on, and Megan and Allison danced around the kitchen again.

Frank burst out laughing and rolled his eyes. “Allison”, he began. “You have the most eclectic collection of music I have ever heard.”

“Thank you!”, Allison said.

“I’ll be back”, Frank said. “I need to run out to my car.”

“Okay, now I really have to go”, Megan said, as Allison walked her to the door. “Al, you need to tell him how you feel.”

Allison nodded. “I know”, she said. “And I will. I want to talk to Nicole and Mike about everything first.”

Megan nodded. “Good luck”, she said, as she went down the steps. 

Frank came back into the house, and set his bags down on the floor. “My furniture will be here tomorrow, apparently”,he said, flopping down on the couch. 

“That’s a pain”, Allison replied, presenting him with the platter of cookies. “Cookie?”

“Before dinner?”, Frank asked, as he took one. “Sure, why not?”

Allison laughed. “We have plenty of time”, she said. “They said they’d be here at six, but on Mike time, that’s like, six-fourty-five.”

“Good point”, Frank said. “Oh! I bought flowers for the ktichen. I thought you’d like them.”

Allison smiled. “Thanks”, she said, taking the flowers from Frank and carrying them into the kitchen and putting them in a vase. “They’re beautiful!”

Just then, Michael and Nicole let themselves into the apartment. “Hellooooo”, Michael called.

Frank looked at his watch. “five-fifty-five”, he commented.

“Oh”, Allison said with a smirk. “Mike time is linked with Nicole time now.”

“Are you making fun of me?”, Michael asked with a mock pout.

“Never”, Allison said with a grin.

Michael leaned down to give Allison a hug. “Hey Allie”, he said softly. “Can we chat for a sec?”

Allison nodded. “Sure”, she said. “What’s up?”

“In private?”, Micael suggested softly. 

Allison looked concerned. “Sure”, he said.

Michael rested his palm on the small of her back and led her into the kitchen. “Thanks”, he said softly.

Allison looked up at him and gently touched his arm. “Is everything okay?”, she asked. “You look stressed. What’s wrong?”

Michael shook his head and smiled, but he was looking at the floor, and his hands were shaking. “Yeah”, he said. “I’m fine,”

Allison took his hands in hers in an attempt to steady them. “Mike”, she said gently. “What’s wrong. You look awful.”

“Allie, I’m fine”, Michael said. “I’m better than I’ve been in a long time. I’m just tired.”

Allison nodded. “Okay”, she said. “So what’s wrong?”

“Are you dating Frank?”, Michael blurted out.

“No”, Allison said sadly. “Why?”

“Do you want to be?”, he asked gently.  
“Where is this coming from?”, Allison demanded. “Why do you care who I date or who I like?”

“Because you’re by best friend!”, Michael exclaimed. “If you like him, that’s great. I just want you to be with someone who is going to make you feel special and treat you the way you deserve to be treated.”

“Thanks, Mike”, Allison said softly. “There’s nothing going on there though, as much as I wish…”

Michael nodded and leaned down to give her a hug. “Talk to him”, he said gently, as he rubbed small circles on her back. “You’re a great girl, Allie. You deserve to be happy.”

“I am happy”, Allison insisted. “It’s been a hard few years, but, I’m working on it.”

Michael nodded. “It’s a new beginning for all of us”, he said. “We’re Sun Devils now. Anything can happen.”

Allison laughed. “It’s going to be a great year”, she said.

The two of them walked back into the living room where Nicole and Frank were putting together a coffee table and talking about something in a low voice. 

“Almost done!”, Frank said as he screwed the last leg in. “Perfect!”

“Looks great!”, Allison said. “So, are you guys ready for dinner?”

***

The four of them climbed into Michael’s car and drove to a Mexican restaurant down the street from Allison and Frank’s apartment. They sat down at a table and began to look over the menu. Once they ordered, Nicole turned to Allison. “Allie, I’m going to go to the rest room”, she said. “Do you want to join me?”

Allison looked at her. She didn’t have to use the rest room at that moment, but she saw something in Nicole’s eyes that made her think she should go along with her. “Sure”, she said. “Be right back guys.’

Nicole led Allison to the rest room, and once they were inside, she looked at Allison and smiled. “Let’s chat”, she said. 

“What’s going on?”, Allison asked. “Why is everyone acting so weird?”

Nicole laughed. “Nothing is wrong”, she said. “I just want to ask you something. Mike and I were talking earlier, and…”

“I’m not dating Frank”, Allison interrupted.

Nicole looked at her questioningly. “How did you…?”, she began

“Mike talked to me”, Allison said sadly. “I know that you guys want me and Frank to be together. I want me and Frank to be together, but Frank…”

“He does”, Nicole said gently. “I talked to him while you and Michael were in the kitchen. That’s why we came to your place early. We were hoping to talk to you two.”

Allison smiled. “So you and Mike planned this?”, she asked.

Nicole nodded. “Yeah”, she said. “If Mike is following the plan, he’s talking to Frank right now.”

“Is he saying anything embarrassing about me?”, Allison asked, wrinkling her nose.

“It’s Mike”, Nicole said. “So…”

“Probably”, both girls finished, and they laughed.

“It’s only because he loves you”, Nicole said gently. “Mike will do anything to make sure that you’re happy, you know.”

Allison nodded. “I know”, she said.

“Let’s go back to the table”, Nicole said, linking her arm with Allison’s.

“Okay”, Allison said with a nod.

When they got back to the table, they heard the tail end of Michael and Frank’s conversation. “Will you think about what I said?”, Michael asked, his expression serious.

Frank nodded, and reached across the table to pat Michael on the arm. “Hey, you got it, Man”, he replied.

“Hey guys”, Nicole said, taking a seat.

“Hey”, Allison added.

As they at their dinner, they told each other stories about their road trips and vacations that they took before arriving in their new homes in Tempe. Frank talked about his trip through Montana. Allison talked about her vacation with her family and all the silly pictures that they had taken together. Michael and Nicole talked about their road trip and the sights they saw along the way. Michael talked about how he was still upset about having to leave Herman and Stella behind. They’re old and don’t travel well, so a cross country road trip with them would have been difficult.

“Debs will take care of them for you”, Allison said gently, as she rubbed his arm.

Michael nodded and swallowed. “Yeah”, he said sadly. “I miss them.”

“You have Juno”, Nicole said gently, in an attempt to be comforting.

Michael nodded. “Yeah”, he said.

“Juno loves you”, Nicole continued.

“And I love her”, Michael said. “But Herman and Stella are my babies and I want to see them.”

Nicole nodded. “I know, baby”, she said. “I’m sorry.”

Michael shook his head. “Not your fault”, he said, as he took another bite of his burrito.

“Are you guys going to order dessert?”, Frank asked.

Allison shook her head. “There are cookies back home”, she said.

“Cookies!”, Michael exclaimed, finally perking up.

“Do you guys want to come over?”, Frank asked.

Nicole turned to Michael who nodded. “Sure”, she said. “At least for a little while.”

***  
They went back to Frank and Allison’s apartment, and Frank unlocked the door. He and Allison walked in.

“You coming?”, Allison asked.

Michael and Nicole looked at each other. “In a minute”, Nicole replied.

“Okay”, Allison said, closing the door behind them.

***

“So?”, Nicole asked.

“He likes her and she likes him”, Michael said. “And it would be very cute. It’s just… Be good to my little sister, man.”

Nicole smiled. “He will”, she said.

***

Allison was in the kitchen putting some more cookies on the plate. Frank came in, and wrapped his arms around her waist. “Hey”, he said.

Allison turned around and grinned. “Hey”, she replied.

“So”, Frank said.

“So”, Allison said.  
“Did Nicole talk to you?”, Frank asked.

Allison nodded. “Yeah”, she said. “Did Mike talk to you?”

“They both talked to me”, Frank replied.

“Me too”, Allison said. 

“So nosy”, Frank said.

“Yeah, but it’s because they love us”, Allison said fondly.

Frank nodded. “So”, he said again.

“So”, Allison repeated.

“I really like you, Allie”, Frank said quietly. “We’ve been friends for a long time, and I’d kind of like to see where this goes.”

Allison nodded. “I really like you too”, she said. “I missed you so much when we were all on the road on the way here. You’re kind of all I thought about.”

Frank grinned. “Well, that”, he began, leaning in to give her a kiss. “is very good news.”


End file.
